1.3. Colonial Period

♤ The onset of colonial rule completely broke the old age self-sufficiency of the villages. Production for the market took the place of production for consumption in the village itself.

♤ Britishers adopted policies that established a direct connection between the central and provincial governments on one side and central government and the individual inhabitants of the village on the other. For instance, under Ryotwari system, the government dealt directly with the individual cultivator and not through the village panchayat. In addition, the government took the responsibility of construction and maintenance of irrigation works, roads, schools. payment of grants to them.

♤ However, the Britishers did take some initiatives to sustain and restore local self-governing institutions in India:

o The Regulation of 1816 conferred judicial authority to the village panchayats in a few provinces. Under this Regulation, the Panchayats under the Madres Presidency were allowed to try cases if both the parties agreed to submit the dispute to the panchayat

o The Mayo’s resolution, 1870 gave impetus to the development of local institutions by enlarging their powers and responsibilities.

o Bengal Village Chowkidary Act, 1870 empowered the District Magistrate to constitute a panchayat in any village if majority of the adult male residents apply in writing to the District Magistrate to constitute a panchayat in such village.

o The Resolution on Local Self Government (Lord Ripon’s Resolution) 1882 intended to build local self-government institutions on the foundations of local self-government system of ancient India and he designed them as an instrument of political and popular education.

o Morley Minto Reforms, 1909 incorporated the recommendations of Royal Commission on Decentralization (1907) which led to the enlargement of the election process in the Local Self Government structure in India.

o Montagu Chelmsford reforms of 1919 introduced dyarchy system where responsibility of the local government was given to ministers and the ministers enacted number of laws to revive the Panchayati raj institutions. Also The municipalities were vested with

more powers to impose taxes. Village Panchayat Act was also passed and made the panchayats a legal body. It established the village panchayat in many parts of the country and this continued up to 1940.